The FIA reopens the Australian Hamilton/Trulli case

Lewis Hamilton will have to appear before the FIA stewards on Thursday afternoon in Sepang (Malaysia) to clarify the reason why Jarno Trulli overtook him in Australia while the safety car was on the track.

A spokesperson for the FIA confirmed that the stewards of the Melbourne Grand Prix will meet again to assess additional evidence that was not available at the time of the initial investigation, which took place directly after the race.

Hamilton was promoted to third place after being overtaken by Trulli on lap 57, who ultimately received a 25-second penalty, dropping him from third to 12th place.

However, if Hamilton reveals further details about the incident on Thursday compared to the first inquiry, this sanction could be challenged. In these conditions, Trulli could be reinstated to third place even if Toyota has decided not to appeal the decision.

In recent days, the FIA is said to have found new evidence, including recordings of McLaren’s radio conversations, which played no role in the initial investigation.

Listening to these recordings will allow the commissioners to verify whether Hamilton’s version of events is plausible.

The Briton also spoke on SpeedTV: « I was behind Trulli under the safety car condition knowing that you are not allowed to overtake in these conditions. But he went off the track onto the grass. I guess his tires were cold. And I had no choice but to overtake. I slowed down as much as I could. I was then told to let him pass again. »

At the time of his return to the track, Trulli stated that Hamilton was so slow that he seemed to be in trouble.

« When the safety car came out, Lewis Hamilton suddenly slowed down and went off line. I thought he had a problem, I overtook him because there was nothing else I could do. »